Re: [Paddlewise] Shark attacks on kayakers

Brad said (snip):
>    The shark that killed Mr. Martin in southern California was judged to
> be a Great White. They can exceed 16 feet in length, and are not ordinary
> sharks; they are predatory killing machines. If I recall correctly, two
> kayakers who disappeared off the California coast were suspected to have
> been victims of a Great White, since their kayaks bore large bite marks.
> The number of surfers who have been bitten by Great Whites along the
> California and Oregon coasts is very significant. Bottom line: don't 
> expect
> a Great White to respect your kayak, surf board, or butt just because it's
> not yum-yum yellow. GW's are equal opportunity feeders. If you are on the
> water, then you are part of the food chain, and to a GW you look very 
> tasty.

The guy was swimming in an area the GW has been know to come in to and feed, 
looking for seals. He didn't deserve what happened, but he was directly 
transiting through the GW's brunching grounds. Do these swimmers not keep 
together and employ chase boats?

The two paddlers who disappeared off the California coast (Point Dume) were 
never officially listed as shark attack victims, I don't think (never saw 
the coroner's report), rather shark expert John McCosker reached that 
conclusion while local paddlers and kayaking experts disagreed with the 
conclusion of McCosker, who himself was part of a feeding frenzy - by the 
media.

The one kayaker who's body was recovered, Stoddard, as well as later the 
other paddler that went missing, have had both their names removed from the 
shark attack files according to Jackie, our past list mom.

I'd intended to do some sleuthing on this Point Dume dissapearence for a 
possible corrective article for Sea Kayaker Magazine for a pre killer-shark 
hype season, but wanted to include a variety of other incidents, some real, 
some hypothesized, and all needing some balance, but haven't had time and 
wasn't sure about the efficacy of such an article. I see Wavelength beat me 
to something vaguely similar recently, though the article reads like a 
cheesy predator docudrama itself, which was the point perhaps. Sort of more 
AdventureKayak Magazine-style humour maybe. It's all good I guess.

That's my call,

Doug L 
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